Oooh boy. Yup. Ferguson. You've heard of it I assume? A white police officer shot a young black man in a small Missouri town. That's really all anyone knows for sure. Actual details regarding the case are still being disputed. However, in a controversial decision by the Grand Jury, Officer Wilson was not indited. (A Grand Jury decides whether or not the evidence is strong enough to justify bringing a case to trial. If so, the suspect is indited, and the case proceeds. If not, the suspect is released.) After this decision, riots broke out in Ferguson, and protests across the United States.
Even here in Minnesota, protesters sat in the middle of 35W for an hour. If you ask me, this is one of the biggest historical events to happen in my lifetime, and also one of the saddest.
Man, there's so many things about this case worth discussing... The two different testimonies given about what happened (Was Michael Brown executed from a distance, or shot in the process of assaulting an officer?), the contrasting images of Brown (was he the smiling grad shown in his memorial pictures, or the hardcore gang-banger he portrayed on Facebook), the issues of protests in modern America, or we could even talk about the broad issue of racial tensions and injustice between whites and blacks in America.
Thing is, I'd rather not talk about those things. There's plenty of videos, newscasts, blog posts, Facebook statuses, and Youtube rants, if you want to learn or lash out.
Ferguson seems to have brought out something in people that we see on a smaller scale everyday. In every event/set of beliefs, there are going to be two sides. I mean, think about it; the Protestant Reformation, the American Revolution, the Civil War, the Civil Rights movement, the Woman's Suffrage movement, Dating verses Courtship, Calvinism verses Armenianism, Creation verses Evolution... I mean, this list could go on and on. In every debate there are valid arguments on both sides - if they did not it would cease to be a argument. However, it seems that whenever one of these issues is released in a classroom, in a church, on television, or on social media, there is an immediate hailstorm of condemnation and hostility.
Why? I mean, doesn't the 1st Amendment apply to us all? Are we not allowed to share our beliefs in public? I run into people I don't agree with all the time. Just a couple weeks ago I had a lovely discussion with a young lady regarding animal rights and hunting. Though we stood on two totally different standpoints regarding the issue, we had an amazing talk! I listened to her, empathized with her, and let her speak her piece. Turns out she had some very valid points! Was my mind changed? Did my worldview take a radical 180 degree spin? Not really. However, I did learn A LOT, and I felt like I understood her argument more. I was also pressed to make sure my stance was validated on good reason and fact. All in all, I walked away from that discussion encouraged! We both appreciated the others standpoint, and walked away having learned something about "the other side".
Here's a small rabbit trail... A word of warning/advice for you: Try not to surround yourself with people who agree with you all the time. It's in our nature to find our religious institution, friends, spouse, and even employers from among those who hold our beliefs. And that can be a good thing to an extent. However, everyone should should the "reason for the hope that is within them". And the only way to truly test and try your faith is to hold it up to those who do not believe the same as you do. It may hurt sometimes, and it usually stings your pride a little bit, but it's better that and shed some light on your beliefs, then to live "happily" in the dark forever.
So yeah.... basically, stop the judging. Stop the interrupting and the quarreling. They are human beings just like you. They all have a story behind who they are today. They may live in ignorance, or they may be the ones who have it right after all. So if you find yourself on the boiling point, take a pause. What are you really accomplishing? Take a deep breath, and ask them questions. Learn about them, and what they believe. Respect their ideals, even if you don't agree. If you want, you can even invite them over here for a cup 'o joe! I'd love to meet them and talk to them.
So that's that. Thanks for listening! It's rare that someone will actually listen to my blabbering. But now I want to hear your thoughts! I don't care how old this post gets, I'm always willing to hear your side of the story. What do you think about Ferguson? Is there another issue you like to talk about? Hahaha, I'm more than willing to give my two cents as well, if you couldn't tell.
Well, anyway, thanks for stopping by! It was great to have you! See ya later!
